Tessera

Ruth Rostrup. Author.

@ruthrostrup.bsky.social

Poet. Worker. Mother. Zero chill. Poetry mostly about #anticapitalism #antiwork #motherhood #burnout and finding yourself again. 🇬🇧 in 🇳🇴 Reclaim creativity in capitalist chaos ⚔️🔥 Author of Mor(e) than Motherhood. Coming soon: Mor(e) than Work.

122 Posts71 Follower 33 Folgt

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Hope you can't relate. P.S Waiting to publish a poetry collection about Work while facing unemployment and your own burnout is a whole type of weird fuckery. #Poetry #Capitalism #Work #Burnout #Parenting

Poem part 1 of 3
And this is not what I planned
being stuck on the shore

of just what we need
my feet glued in wet sand

forced to stand and then watch as my children are stranded

with sad, leftover meals
and leftover me

as I watch “precious moments”
get washed out to sea

and I try to cling on
but you know how it goes

hold all of time’s sand
and into wind it just flows

as inevitably
as the bulge in my heart

when the kids still look up
with that trust and that hope

asking me to build castles
and other joys in the sand

but I’m caught in the nature
of slippery tasks at my hand

keeping us all above water
while losing grip on the land

this is not what I planned
this is not what I planned

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Still feeling the heat of those micrawaved minutes, six and a half years later. 📕 from the book Mor(e) than Motherhood - www.amazon.co.uk/more-than-mo... #Motherhood #Womanhood #Poetry

Poem written in light cream text on a dark burgundy colour:
"I lived under the cheap glow
of the microwave clock

that still singes the edges of my eyes
all these years later.

For evert time someone told me
to 'enjoy every precious moment'
I would lose myself in weeks"

Poem by Ruth Rostrup from the book More than Motherhood.

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 6mo ago

YOU DON'T HATE MONDAYS. Join me and start planting seeds in the margins 🌱 This piece is from 'Mor(e) than Work' - Coming Soon. Dedicated to the creative dreamers sat in corporate meetings. There's more of us than you realise 🌊. #Poetry #Work #ArtistLife #Capitalism #WriterCommunity #Creativity

Poem part one of three: When the meeting becomes cloaked
in shadow,
blabber spill
the dreamers seize a glance.

We lay leaves of ink
in the edges of notebooks.
Nurtured, tendered chance.

Dot tiny weightless seeds in all the blustery business plans.

We whisper pencil secrets  — ideas
 we grow in the narrowest of margins

between the lines

in the most unassuming empty spaces we can find.

Room by room.
Square by square.

We curate visionary worlds
on stolen paper

breaths of air.
- Poem by Ruth Rostrup, from her upcoming collection called ' Mor(e) than Work'

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 6mo ago

[From the drafts] Sure, the universe is vast and beautiful - But seeing the glint in your friend's eyes as she talks about something that brings her joy? Nothing compares. #Poetry #Burnout #Friendship

Poem: "I'd trade every star / in the godly night sky / to save my friend's hope / keep the glimmer / in her eyes." by Ruth Rostrup (me).

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · last yr.

Soz brb. Writing y'all a poetry collection about living (and creating) in late stage capitalism/tech feudalism/whatever the fuck this is. Will make a home for it here on Bluesky when it's ready 💙 #indieauthor #booksky #stillhere

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · last yr.

A love letter from one overwhelmed creative to another (you). I started it weeks ago, weaving it slowly through the cracks and chaos of this messy season of my life. And maybe that’s what makes it matter even more. #Writer #WritingCommunity #Artist #Creative #Capitalism #Motherhood

The Sacred Everyday Creative Life (For the ones carrying it all)

For the overwhelmed, burned out creative soul who’s in a life season of survival mode.

open.substack.com

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · last yr.

Postpartum night terrors. From "Mor(e) than motherhood" www.amazon.co.uk/more-than-mo... #Poetry #MoreThanMotherhood #Mom #Postpartum #MentalHealth #BookSky

A poem is displayed in soft white text on a deep maroon background. It reads:

“She holds up oceans in her sleep
wakes in sweat,
drowned in heat.

Saved the world
but at what cost?

We’ll never know.

Under heavy nights,
steeped in terror
she is lost.”

In the lower right corner, it says:
Ruth Rostrup
Mor(e) than motherhood
(psst. It’s really about womanhood)

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · last yr.

I leave her in the company of others. #poem from #MoreThanMotherhood (psst. it's really about womanhood).

A poem appears in soft white text on a deep maroon background. It reads:

“I leave my body in the company of others
and slip away
into a blanket of quiet.

The banter and laughter of friends
that once woke my soul

becomes the muffled buzzing of a TV left on
in the background of a kids sleepover;
you drift off to the plot of a film that fades away.

Did time freeze or flutter by?
Was it in my safety or solace
or overwhelm
that my eyes glazed over.

You ask
‘Hey, are you ok?’
‘Yeh, I’m just tired.’
a voice replies, that sounds like mine.”

In the lower right corner, it says:
Ruth Rostrup
Mor(e) than motherhood
(psst. It’s really about womanhood)

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · last yr.

Rebel against all your other emails today. Take a soul break instead. #poetry #writing #fuckwork

💌 Poetry Postcard #5 - (2 min soul break)

Fuck all other emails today.

open.substack.com

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · last yr.

I wrote a raw and heartfelt letter to a fellow creative mother, @leahplotz.bsky.social. It’s now out in the world on Substack. For you. Just in case you need to hear it too. 💌 leahplotz.substack.com/p/cold-coffe... #writer #motherhood #poet #writingcommunity

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · last yr.

Writing to remember who I am. Before the feeling, before the forgetting. #womanhood #motherhood

A poem on a dark maroon background, written in white serif font. The poem reads:

"I write myself out over and over again
just to convince myself of
or remember
who I am.

The person before the feeling came.

But every day it spills out onto my pages
until none of my sentences make any sense.

And I try to find the words to describe myself
in skills
and tasks
and time spent
on actions that are supposed to speak louder than
words."

In the bottom right corner, it says:

"Ruth Rostrup
Mor(e) than motherhood
(psst. It's really about womanhood)"

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · last yr.

The person before the feeling came. #burnout #anxiety #Motherhood #mom #writer #poem #booksky #poet #writingcommunity

A digital graphic with a dark burgundy background features a poem in white serif text. The poem is arranged in short, introspective stanzas, exploring themes of identity, self-expression, and the struggle to define oneself. The text is aligned to the left, with a deliberate use of spacing and line breaks that emphasize the weight of each thought.

The poem reads:

I write myself out over and over again
just to convince myself of
or remember
who I am.

The person before the feeling came.

But every day it spills out onto my pages
until none of my sentences make any sense.

And I try to find the words to describe myself
in skills
and tasks
and time spent
on actions that are supposed to speak louder than words.

In the lower right corner, the author's name, Ruth Rostrup, is displayed in a smaller serif font, followed by the title "Mor(e) than motherhood". Beneath that, in an even smaller, whisper-like font, it says: "(psst. It’s really about womanhood)", hinting at a deeper exploration of self beyond prescribed roles.

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · last yr.

I wish 🤍 #Motherhood #postpartum #poem #mom #writer #booksky #writingcommunity

A digital graphic with a dark burgundy background features a poem in white serif text. The poem is arranged in short stanzas, each beginning with the refrain "I wish I could remember", creating a rhythm of longing and contrast between tender moments and painful realities. The text is aligned to the left, leaving negative space on the right, reinforcing a sense of loss and imbalance.

The poem reads:

I wish I could remember
your soft little snores
as much as the stitches, the soreness and burns.

I wish I could remember
your honey satin skin
as much as the blood, sweat and never feeling clean.

I wish I could remember
those cute little hiccups
as much as the fucked up breastfeeding
and painful pumps.

I wish I could remember
those enchanting newborn eyes
as much as the panic attacks night after night after goddam night.

I wish I would have remembered
both you and me.

In the lower right corner, the author's name, Ruth Rostrup, is displayed in a smaller serif font, followed by the title "Mor(e) than motherhood". Beneath that, in an even smaller, quiet font, it says: "(psst. It’s really about womanhood)", hinting at a deeper, universal theme beyond just motherhood.

The dark background contrasts starkly with the white text, intensifying the weight of the poem’s emotional rawness. The structure, with repeated refrains, builds a sense of heartbreak, nostalgia, and the overwhelming duality of early motherhood—love and struggle, beauty and trauma, presence and absence.

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · last yr.

My greenhouse body 🌷 #motherhood #grief #poem #booksky #writingcommunity #depression #mom #writer

A digital graphic with a dark burgundy background features a short poem in white serif text. The poem is positioned in the upper left corner, leaving most of the space empty, creating a sense of quiet contemplation.
The poem reads:
My greenhouse body absorbs grief through glass skin and bones of tin.
I paint my walls with flowers to hide the rotting earth within.
In the lower right corner, the author's name, Ruth Rostrup, is displayed in smaller, subtle serif text, followed by the title "Mor(e) than motherhood". Beneath that, in an even smaller, whisper-like font, it says: "(psst. It’s really about womanhood)", as if revealing a quiet truth.
The design is minimalist, with the vast empty space emphasizing the poem’s introspective tone. The contrast between the dark background and the white text draws attention to the delicate yet weighty words.

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · last yr.

First things first. Over 200 people have have signed up to disrupt their inbox with #poetry and words of #inspiration. ✨ Fuck. yes. This postcard is dedicated to #women, #friendship, and soul sisters. With poetry from @leahplotz.bsky.social and @nikitagill.bsky.social 💌

💌 Poetry Postcard #4 (2mins)

Dedicated to women.

open.substack.com

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · last yr.

Bluesky fam ❤️ I've been MIA in life stuff. - New job, prepping for citizenship language exam, potential neurospicy diagnosis, sick kids, healthy kids with all the energy, tending to my 2nd book baby - But I'll be back and sharing Mor(e). IYKYK. Prepare to be showered with #poetry. #mom #writing

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

A woman's power. #poem #poetry #motherhood #women #inspiration #booksky #wrintingcommunity

A digital graphic with a dark burgundy background features a poem in light cream tex in a classic serif font, evoking a serious and poetic tone. The words are spaced out with deliberate line breaks, reinforcing the weight of each phrase.

The poem reads:

A woman's power.

to carry all four seasons within her
and only show Spring.

To harness raging wildfire
and celestial tides
wrapped in earth-tone petal skin.

At the bottom right corner, the author’s name, Ruth Rostrup, appears in smaller, subtle serif text, followed by the title "Mor(e) than motherhood". Below it, in an even smaller whisper-like font, it says: "(psst. It’s really about womanhood)", as if letting the reader in on a quiet secret.

The dark background contrasts starkly with the white text, reinforcing the poem’s theme of hidden sorrow beneath the surface of celebration.

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

Shoutout to my husband for liking all of my posts on here. My one-man engagement farm. My dedicated like bot. My algorithmic emotional support system. 🫡

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

You are more than the grief. More than the joy. #Motherhood #Poem #Poetry #BookSky

A digital graphic with a dark burgundy background features a poem in white text. The title, "WELCOME TO THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE", is in a playful, handwritten-style font at the top, giving a sense of forced cheerfulness. The rest of the poem is in a classic serif font, evoking a more serious and poetic tone. The words are spaced out with deliberate line breaks, reinforcing the weight of each phrase.

The poem reads:

"WELCOME TO THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE"

strung hurriedly to all the rooms in our minds.
IV streamers, gaslit balloons
paint the cracks with artificial, sickening syrup
in pinks and blues.

At the door, we’ll inject our faces with Instagram filters
‘cus God forbid we show
that when we show up to the best day of our lives
it’s grief
not joy
wrapped up in wholesale plastic bows.

At the bottom right corner, the author’s name, Ruth Rostrup, appears in smaller, subtle serif text, followed by the title "Mor(e) than motherhood". Below it, in an even smaller whisper-like font, it says: "(psst. It’s really about womanhood)", as if letting the reader in on a quiet secret.

The dark background contrasts starkly with the white text, reinforcing the poem’s theme of hidden sorrow beneath the surface of celebration.

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

She's here 😭 I wrote 'Mor(e) than Motherhood' when I was in the depths of postpartum depression. I'm so proud of her. And me. 🤍 Shoutout to @mldesigns.bsky.social for the beautiful new cover. #BookCover #BookSky #IndieBooks #Poetry #Motherhood #Writer #Author #HappyDance

In the centre of the image, my book proudly stands! The cover is a bold maroon. In large, white capital letters in the top centre is the title "More" with the 'e' in parenthesis. The sub text, in the same but smaller text says "than motherhood." Underneath is a line drawing of a woman's hands coming down from the title, the fingers hand softly. Her index finger is being held by a baby's hand. Their touch is soft but reassuring. The lines are a crisp cream with some soft shading to add a 3D feeling. My name is in small white text at the bottom centre, "Ruth Rostrup". Twisting around all the elements is a subtle, dark red, twirly vine. Adorned with small leaves and twirling little offshoots. It starts in the top left and spirals to the bottom right, twirling around the hands. A secret for any alt text readers: this vine will continue onwards across the cover of the next book in the series. // Above the book image is large text that reads "New cover. Same brutality and beauty". // On each side of the book are 5 star reviews. Underneath the book it reads "A unique reading experience from both sides of labour, postpartum, and depression."

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

Overwhelmed artists and writers, I see you ❤️ #writingcommunity #artist #mentalhealth #writersky #creative #Motherhood #parenting

Gentle reminders for creatives with a lot going on.

For anyone trying to juggle the big pull of creativity with the even bigger demands of life.

open.substack.com

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

You guys. My book 'Mor(e) than motherhood' is getting a new cover soon and it's BEAUTIFUL and ARRGGHH I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW YOU! #BookSky #WritingCommunity #FuckYeh

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

Loaf cat and baby are settling down for a nap. Let's see what #writing we can get done. #Author #poet #mom #writer

Norwegian forest cat loafs on a sofa with half closed eyes. In the background a baby is sprawled out in a cushion nest on the sofa, sleeping. The vibe is scandi home with a vine of greenery going up the back wall.

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

Take a break from your usual scroll. A poetry postcard just landed on your digital doorstep 💌 🎁 Featuring @kymburlee.bsky.social ruthrostrup.substack.com/p/poetry-pos... #Poem #MentalHealth #Trauma #Healing #WritingCommunity #Writers

💌 Poetry Postcard #3 (2mins)

Don't forget yourself today.

ruthrostrup.substack.com

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

Me trying to make small-talk at the office coffee machine.

Post nicht verfügbar.

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

You are more than motherhood. #booksky #motherhood #writer #mom #poem #poetry #mentalhealth #burnout #morethanmotherhood #artist

A text image with a dark maroon background and a large cream-colored poem in the center. The poem reads: ‘The had the audacity / to pursue rituals purely for joy. // Away from curation / currency / and content.// And in these moments / where all others eyes were turned away // she turned up / turned it on / and found her way’ In smaller text underneath it says the author Ruth Rostrup and the name of the book that this is from “More than motherhood.” With the “e” in parenthesis. In very very very small text underneath that, there’s a secret note that reads: '(psst. It’s really about womanhood).'

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

Seeing your own book pop up in this trend ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Ahhhh the feels. #booksky #poetry #Motherhood #writersky

Miss A-Train@missatrain.bsky.social · 2y ago

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers! 13/20 #booksky #bookchallenge #20bookchallenge @ruthrostrup.bsky.social

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

Yesterday, I wrote a #poem for my 2nd (yes, 2nd) book. Today, I'm discussing cover redesigns with a skilled book cover artist. #Writing this as a reminder to myself that I'm making the dream happen. Even if it doesn't always feel like it amongst the overwhelm of every-day #work and #parenting life.

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

Kids are with the inlaws. Popped out with husband to quickly run errands, and I snuck into a cafe to write. Let's see what a few precious minutes can bring ❤️ #writer #mom #momlife #poet #writercommunity #motherhood #poetry #author

Birds eye view of a little coffee shop table. To the left, an open (red leather) notebook with some black scribbles of writing. To the write a full frothy coffee.

Ruth Rostrup. Author.@ruthrostrup.bsky.social · 2y ago

Sanity check 👋 If you were given enough money to not have to work to sustain a comfortable life, what would you do with your time?